Resolve to Choose One Word, One Verse, and One Song for this New Year

It’s common to set New Year’s resolutions, but they are often quickly forgotten.

Instead of making resolutions, resolve to choose One Word, Verse, and Song to draw closer to Jesus.

Choosing one word serves as a reminder of the year’s focus and helps make decisions that align with your goals.

Having one verse grounds us in our faith and reminds us of God’s promises for our lives.

The new year is an opportunity to make changes and become the best version of ourselves.

I’d love it if you’d join in my One Word, One Verse, One Song Challenge this year.

1. Ditch Your Resolutions!

I used to bring in the New Year by spending several hours creating a list of resolutions that I hoped would help me become more Christ-like. The thing is, it never worked.

The problem is that no matter how intentional our resolve is, we consistently fail to change or become ‘the best version of ourselves’ because of a list of resolutions. My resolutions never transformed me into the person I desperately desired to become.

Is this your story too?

If so, you’re invited to join me this coming year as instead, I resolve to choose One Word, One Verse, and One Song. I’ve been doing the One Word Challenge this way for several years and have found it to be so much better.

When you RESOLVE to make a change in your life, you are committing to Jesus Christ to do the miracle of transformation in your life.

To resolve is to choose. I want you to choose to allow Jesus to do the transformation in your life.

To create in you a new heart because you are a daughter of the King.

2. Choose a single word – One Word that embodies your faith journey for the year!

I have been choosing One Word since 2012 and would love to know how long you have done this (or not).

Actually, for several years I’ve been choosing a hyphenated word to more completely express the direction the Lord is taking me.

I do not attach a list of resolutions or goals. Simply One Word.

If you’ve never taken this challenge before, you might want some suggestions on how to find your One Word. If you spend time with Jesus each day, it should be easy as He speaks to your heart in your Quiet Time.

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to impress on your heart what word to choose.

You might find it in thought as you have your Quiet Time or a verse that jumps off the page. My word this year came from a song that I remembered hearing as God spoke to my heart.

2. Reflecting on Scripture – Select one Bible verse to meditate on and study throughout the next 365 days!

Since I have no idea what’s in store for me during the coming year, it is wonderful to have a verse as my theme. It can be an anchor for my soul as I live out the days ahead.

Something is reassuring about choosing One Verse to go with my Word. I love looking up other cross-reference verses to go along with my main verse. It gives my word or synonym possible scenarios to strengthen and guide me.

Looking up these verses takes me a week or two as God shows me different verses or synonyms of my word.

I underline the verse and often illustrate the verse in the margin of my journaling Bible.

The One Word Printable Pack: Choosing One Word, One Verse, and One Song will help you in this challenge by 1 Samuel 30:6 

3. Music to Lift Our Spirits – Find One Song that has special meaning to you, and use it as an anchor whenever you need reminding of God’s love!

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Ephesians 5:19

When Scripture or spiritual phrases are put to music they uplift our hearts in a way nothing else can. When you are discouraged, music has a way of turning things around for you.

David knew this and often played his harp and sang. When he was discouraged, he would encourage himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6).

That’s why I hope you resolve to choose One Song that will encourage your heart in the Lord as you go through the upcoming year.

4. Writing It Down – Put pen to paper and resolve to allow God to work in you by writing down your chosen word, verse, and song on paper!

I cannot say enough about the power of writing things down. Sure you can type it into an app on your phone but something is amazing about the old-school pen-and-paper method.

When you record by writing something out, it goes into your brain and imprints the beginning steps toward transformation.

Because I often have forgotten where I put my One Word, One Verse, and One Song, I created a Printable Pack. What good is it if I forget what God laid on my heart?!

That’s why you can get the One Word Printable Pack: Choosing One Word, One Verse, and One Song below.

5. Reassuring Yourself – Repeat your One Word, One Verse, One Song every often for continuous inspiration and motivation!

Keep your One Word Printable Pack where you’ll see it throughout the year. That way you won’t be like me and get busy and forget it before the end of January!

Reviewing your Word, Verse, and Song will help you continue what the Lord desires to work in your heart. You’ll also be surprised as you see how your Word is perfect for the year you are currently living.

You will also find it extremely encouraging as you focus on where the Lord is leading. And to be sure, the Lord does lead through the word you chose.

That’s astounding to see as your year unfolds.

6. Closing Thoughts – Resolve to get started with this year’s challenge!

Since you are still with me, you must really want to do this!

But you might be asking, “How on earth do I get started?”

How to Choose One Word, One Verse, and One Song

First, seek the Lord’s face for direction in choosing your new One Word.

• Pray and ask God for direction!
• Read your Bible – continue where you’ve already been reading!
• Do NOT search the web or blogs or Social platforms for trending One Word suggestions!
• Seek God alone!
• Listen for God’s voice through the Bible or Christian songs!

Resolutions do not typically change a person because they reflect on the failures in a person’s past that they want to correct. They are work-based not so much faith-based.

Choosing One Word, One Verse, and One Song typically reflects on your future. The person you’d like to become. It’s a transformational faith-journey filled with hope and anticipation.

The first year, my Word did not reflect the person I was at the time. Each year my words have reflected a transformation of my heart and life.

For several years I chose the word JOY and to tell you the truth, I had no joy at all! I kept the word joy for a few years and gradually found joy where I never expected to find it.

You would think that joy comes on the mountaintop, but joy comes in the valley!

It was the most amazing thing that God ever did for me. He wrapped His loving arms around me and gave me JOY UNSPEAKABLE.

I hope you resolve to choose One Word, One Verse, and One Song to draw closer to Jesus during the coming new year. You’ll never be sorry you did!!